RM 30 Series II makes debut at Newport THE SHOW

Brian Cheney · « **on:** 26 May 2011, 08:40 pm »

The RM30 has been our most popular model since its introduction in 2004.

Newport is our first consumer show in several years, and I wondered what I could do to improve system performance, now that the second generation of CDWG's is standard on all our planar speakers.

As it turned out, all that was necessary was a small change from dual 6" slot-loaded passive radiators to a single side-firing, vitrified cone 10" PR with double the Xmax of the old ones. The system looks the same as the RM 30M, but its active 10" is replaced by the new passive, with suitable retuning and xover adjustments. Intro price will be $3500pr in piano black with inboard analog crossovers. The outboard analog OXO adds $450, and if you want to biamp and go digital, as we will in Newport, two versions of the DCX 2496 are available at $900 and $1600. The highly modded costlier version will be on display, biamped through Ampzilla electronics and Nuforce/Wyred4Sound DACS.

I think audiophiles will be amazed by the sonic performance of this setup. Visit us in Rm 411 and hear for yourself.

BobRex · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 May 2011, 08:45 pm »

So, let's see.... step 1 - replace the woofer with the PR, step 2, replace the previous PRs with blank plates??

Hmmm, sounds like a doable field upgrade. So, Brian, any possibilities?

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 May 2011, 08:57 pm »

Yes, new 10" PR's are $66ea plus shipping, and we will throw in some plugs for the PR cutouts in the bottom.

Do this with the new add on CDWG's ($160 for full set) and you have a substantial upgrade in performance for small bux.

Russtafarian · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 May 2011, 11:54 pm »

Brian,

Can you include an extra pair of 10" PRs + plugs in your show load? I can pre-pay for them or we can settle up at the Show. Thanks.

I'm a few miles away from the Show hotel and will be there all weekend, so if you need any help pre, during, or post show, let me know.

You are also welcome to come by and hear my freaked-out RM30s while you're in town.

Russ

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 May 2011, 12:38 am »

Be happy to do so. We set up Thursday starting 1:30 at the Hilton, you're welcome to join the party.

monsterbill · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 May 2011, 03:23 am »

Brian--Thanks for keeping your old customers in mind when you make these developments!

Is there any relationship between the new PRs and the new CDWG, other than they are both coming out at the same time? In other words, are the new PRs designed to complement the sound of the new CDWGs, or are they discrete improvements, both good separately on their own?

Also, the first post makes it sound like a change to the crossover is necessary for the new PR, but the later post makes it sound like all you have to do is take out the old drivers and put in the new one. Which is correct?

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 May 2011, 04:00 pm »

If you have the RM30C with a plugged side-firing 10" cutout, no xover change is necessary. Knock out the plug for the 10", install the PR, remove the 6" PR's and plug their cutouts, and install the CDWG's.

If you have the RM30M you must remove the 10" active, shorten the wiring (from a series/parallel to straight parallel connections for the remaining active 6.5"), add 10uF to the mid crossover ($12 to $45 per side depending on cap quality), install the 10" PR, remove the 6" PR's and plug their cutouts, install the CDWG's, and you're done.

If you have the RM30C with no side cutouts, surgery to the cabinets will be necessary. Not pleasant, but doable, since the material is only 3/4" MDF.

BobRex · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 May 2011, 05:03 pm »

If you are going from a series parallel to parallel circuit, you are doing more than just shortening the wiring (mentioned for those that are not electrically literate.) So what's the wiring? I'm thinking positive feed to parallel 6.5" woofers, then off the negative to the 10" positive with the negative going to the negative post.

The next question would be how is the additional 10uF changing the filter? It's still a first order, so how much does it raise the high-pass?

Russtafarian · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 May 2011, 05:25 pm »

Based on what's in my older RM30Cs, the 10uF capacitor would be added to the 2nd order midpanel high pass filter to lower the filter frequency from 280 hz to around 225 hz.

The woofer's LPF is a single coil so that filter will not change. With the 10" in place, the 6" drivers are wired in series then paralleled to the 10" for about a 6 ohm total load for the woofers. Removing the 10" driver would require rewiring the twin 6" drivers from series to parallel. This would drop the total woofer impedance to 4 ohms.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 May 2011, 05:39 pm »

Russ, if you have the RM30C, there is no active 10". That's the 30M, and you add the 10uF cap to compensate for the lower impedance of the circuit when the active 10" is taken out. The xover frequency does not change.

Bob, the active 6.5" are now in parallel, for a 4 Ohm load. That's plus to plus and neg to neg and both woofers.

Russtafarian · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 May 2011, 05:45 pm »

You're right I have the M's not the C's (doh!). Thanks for the clarification.

monsterbill · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 May 2011, 06:32 pm »

It sounds like the upgrade to the RM30M will be easy to do for anyone with a soldering iron and a screwdriver, but some folks (meaning, ahem, me), might need second grade level instruction to figure out the wiring and cap mod.

Russ, do you think you can post pictures of your work when you get around to doing the upgrade?

Thanks!

BobRex · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 May 2011, 08:01 pm »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 27 May 2011, 05:39 pm

Russ, if you have the RM30C, there is no active 10". That's the 30M, and you add the 10uF cap to compensate for the lower impedance of the circuit when the active 10" is taken out. The xover frequency does not change.

Bob, the active 6.5" are now in parallel, for a 4 Ohm load. That's plus to plus and neg to neg and both woofers.

RE the cap, since it's for impedance compensation, I assume it's in series?

I'm not quite following on the woofer wiring. I get that the 6.5 inchers are parallelled, but how is the 10" (think M here) wired in? Since you mentioned series parallel, I thought the 10" was in series with the conjugate 6.5"., which would mean 6.5 neg to 10 pos. Is that not the case?

John Casler · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 May 2011, 08:26 pm »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 26 May 2011, 08:40 pm

The RM30 has been our most popular model since its introduction in 2004.

Newport is our first consumer show in several years, and I wondered what I could do to improve system performance, now that the second generation of CDWG's is standard on all our planar speakers.

As it turned out, all that was necessary was a small change from dual 6" slot-loaded passive radiators to a single side-firing, vitrified cone 10" PR with double the Xmax of the old ones. The system looks the same as the RM 30M, but its active 10" is replaced by the new passive, with suitable retuning and xover adjustments. Intro price will be $3500pr in piano black with inboard analog crossovers. The outboard analog OXO adds $450, and if you want to biamp and go digital, as we will in Newport, two versions of the DCX 2496 are available at $900 and $1600. The highly modded costlier version will be on display, biamped through Ampzilla electronics and Nuforce/Wyred4Sound DACS.

I think audiophiles will be amazed by the sonic performance of this setup. Visit us in Rm 411 and hear for yourself.

Brian is at it again.

No grass growing beneath his feet.

cliffy · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 May 2011, 08:40 pm »

Am I correctly following this mod? Replace an ACTIVE 10" with a 10" PR improves the performance?

I must be missing something.....

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 May 2011, 08:59 pm »

I would be willing to convert my RM30M to the upgraded version, but I would want photographic step by step instructions. Monsterbill does, too. I suspect many RM30 owners would appreciate this bit of extra effort on Brian's part. After all, he has now made us less than perfectly satisfied with our previously wonderful speakers!

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #16 on:** 27 May 2011, 10:15 pm »

Quote from: Scottdazzle on 27 May 2011, 08:59 pm

I would be willing to convert my RM30M to the upgraded version, but I would want photographic step by step instructions. Monsterbill does, too. I suspect many RM30 owners would appreciate this bit of extra effort on Brian's part. After all, he has now made us less than perfectly satisfied with our previously wonderful speakers!

Hilarious! At least it's an inexpensive upgrade

fredgarvin · « **Reply #17 on:** 27 May 2011, 10:38 pm »

Quote from: cliffy on 27 May 2011, 08:40 pm

Am I correctly following this mod? Replace an ACTIVE 10" with a 10" PR improves the performance?

I must be missing something.....

No, it replaces the two six inch downfiring passives.

opnly bafld · « **Reply #18 on:** 27 May 2011, 11:20 pm »

Quote from: cliffy on 27 May 2011, 08:40 pm

Am I correctly following this mod? Replace an ACTIVE 10" with a 10" PR improves the performance?

I must be missing something.....

Quote from: fredgarvin on 27 May 2011, 10:38 pm

No, it replaces the two six inch downfiring passives.

cliffy has it right.

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 26 May 2011, 08:40 pm

As it turned out, all that was necessary was a small change from dual 6" slot-loaded passive radiators to a single side-firing, vitrified cone 10" PR with double the Xmax of the old ones. The system looks the same as the RM 30M, but its active 10" is replaced by the new passive, with suitable retuning and xover adjustments.

opnly bafld · « **Reply #19 on:** 27 May 2011, 11:23 pm »

Quote from: BobRex on 27 May 2011, 08:01 pm

I'm not quite following on the woofer wiring. I get that the 6.5 inchers are parallelled, but how is the 10" (think M here) wired in? Since you mentioned series parallel, I thought the 10" was in series with the conjugate 6.5"., which would mean 6.5 neg to 10 pos. Is that not the case?

The active 10" is replaced by a 10" passive radiator, which obviously is not wired to anything.